ISS Daily Summary Report – 11/07/2018

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)-7 Departure: This morning, the crew finished closing out the Node 2 vestibule by demating all umbilicals and depressurizing the vestibule between HTV-7 and Node 2 in preparation for the unberth. Commands were sent to the release Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) bolts prior to unberth. Robotic Flight Controllers then maneuvered HTV-7 to the release position utilizing the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). HTV-7 was subsequently released by the crew at 10:51 CT. Just after the HTV deorbit burn occurs on Saturday November 10, the HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC) will deploy from HTV with an intended splashdown southwest of Japan occurring at 4:06PM CT. The HSRC with JAXA Low Temperature Protein Crystal Growth (LT PCG) samples inside will then be retrieved and returned to Japan. The HSRC measures 840mm in diameter, 190kg in weight, and contains roughly 30L pressurized volume for sample return.

Veggie: The crew placed markings on the watering syringes in preparation for future plant watering. Veggie-03 plants were checked for growth progression and watered as necessary. Photos were taken and placed on a flash card for downlink to the ground. The Vegetable Production System (Veggie) is a deployable plant growth unit capable of producing salad-type crops to provide the crew with a palatable, nutritious, and safe source of fresh food and a tool to support relaxation and recreation.

Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Technology (BEST): BEST experiment operations part 3 were completed today to demonstrate direct ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing with the MinION miniature deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencer using the sample kit retrieved from MELFI 1. The BEST investigation studies the use of sequencing for identification of unknown microbial organisms living on the ISS, and how humans, plants and microbes adapt to living on the ISS.

Plasma Kristall-4: The crew performed particle trapping activities using the Argon Gas line. Experiment was initiated via the European Physiology Module (EPM) laptop. Plasma Krystall-4 (PK-4) is a scientific collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), performing research in the field of “Complex Plasmas”: low temperature gaseous mixtures composed of ionized gas, neutral gas, and micron-sized particles. The micro-particles become highly charged in the plasma and interact strongly with each other, which can lead to a self-organized structure of the micro-particles: so-called plasma crystals. Experiments in the facility aim to study Transport Properties, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Statistical Physics, and Non-linear waves and Instabilities in the plasmas.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS in the Hot Backup Configuration and unberthed HTV-7 from the Node 2 Nadir Active Common Berthing Mechanism (ACBM) using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). They then maneuvered HTV-7 to the release. After HTV-7 departure, Controllers maneuvered the SSRMS to a park position, de-configured the MSS from Hot Backup and supported a video survey of the Node 2 Nadir ACBM. Once the survey was complete, the MSS was powered down.